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This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides an overview of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations held in Bonn from March 29 to April 8, 2009. It details the progress and points of contention across the four pillars of the Bali Action Plan—mitigation, adaptation, technology, and financing—as countries worked toward a comprehensive post-2012 climate agreement intended for adoption at COP 15 in Copenhagen in December 2009.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) details the outcomes of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations held in Bonn from March 29 to April 8, 2009. It outlines the progress made across the four pillars of the Bali Action Plan—mitigation, adaptation, technology, and finance—as parties worked toward a global post-2012 climate agreement intended for conclusion at COP-15 in Copenhagen in December 2009.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the financial requirements and potential mechanisms for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. It analyzes investment gaps, reviews existing funding sources under the UNFCCC and other multilateral initiatives, and evaluates various proposals for new funding streams, including market-based levies and institutional reforms, to support a post-2012 global climate regime.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides an overview of the outcomes of the fourteenth Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the UNFCCC held in Poznan, Poland, in December 2008. It details the progress of the two main negotiating tracks—the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP)—as they move toward a comprehensive post-2012 climate agreement expected at COP 15 in Copenhagen.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes various proposals for operationalizing technology cooperation within the UNFCCC framework ahead of the 2009 Copenhagen negotiations. It contrasts the institutional and financial preferences of the G77 + China, the European Union, and other nations, while proposing a comprehensive evaluation framework based on legal principles, specific actions across the technology chain, and institutional mandates. The document also includes a position paper from the Climate Action Network (CAN) advocating for a dedicated Technology Cooperation Mechanism and a Technology Fund to ensure the measurable, reportable, and verifiable (MRV) transfer of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) to developing countries.

This report details the proceedings of the Africa Trade and Climate Change Dialogue held in Johannesburg on May 7-8, 2009. The event, organized by ICTSD, IISD, and SAIIA, brought together African trade officials, policy-makers, and experts to examine the intersection of trade policy, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development. The dialogue focused on identifying policy priorities and research gaps to prepare African countries for the UNFCCC Copenhagen summit, specifically addressing vulnerabilities in agriculture, the need for predictable financing, and the diffusion of low-carbon technologies.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute synthesizes country submissions to the UNFCCC regarding technology and financial support for climate mitigation, mapping party positions across the stages of innovation from research and development to commercial deployment.

This research paper by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) examines the role of trade liberalization in diffusing climate mitigation goods and the challenges associated with negotiating environmental goods and services (EGS) within the WTO Doha Round. It argues that while lowering trade barriers can reduce costs and facilitate technology transfer, liberalization alone is insufficient without complementary financial, regulatory, and technical assistance frameworks to support developing countries.

This background paper, prepared by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) for a 2008 seminar in Copenhagen, examines the complex relationship between intellectual property (IP) rights and the transfer of climate-related technologies. It analyzes how IP can act as both an incentive for innovation and a barrier to the diffusion of technology, specifically exploring the role of the WTO TRIPS Agreement and the UNFCCC framework in facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) outlines its positions for the COP 14/MOP 4 negotiations in Poland, demanding a climate justice framework based on historical responsibility. The organization calls for steep emission reductions by industrialized countries, the rejection of carbon offsetting and market-based forest mechanisms, and significant financial and technology transfers to developing nations to support adaptation and mitigation.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the potential conflicts and synergies between the WTO's TRIPS Agreement on intellectual property and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It analyzes how patent laws regarding biological resources, technology transfer, and traditional knowledge intersect with national sovereignty and the goal of equitable benefit sharing.

This joint discussion paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and WWF International examines the tensions between the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). It analyzes how intellectual property rights (IPRs) can hinder the CBD's goals regarding benefit sharing, traditional knowledge, and technology transfer, and provides a set of international and national recommendations to harmonize these legal frameworks.

This report analyzes the potential for China to participate in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol. It evaluates the economic, environmental, and social benefits and costs, emphasizing that while the CDM offers short-term gains in foreign investment and technology, it poses a long-term risk of technology dependence if core R&D and manufacturing capabilities are not transferred. The authors provide strategic recommendations for China to ensure the CDM supports its long-term sustainable development goals.

This position paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) outlines twelve principles to guide the implementation of Joint Implementation (JI) under the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). The document argues against moving from the JI pilot phase to full crediting without an independent evaluation and a comprehensive legal framework, highlighting significant technical, environmental, and socio-economic risks associated with the project-by-project approach.

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This briefing appendix provides a matrix analyzing the potential positive, negative, and indeterminate effects of various climate mitigation policies—including carbon taxes, emission trading schemes, and REDD+—on developing countries across five dimensions: trade, capital flows, aid/development finance, technology, and growth.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law, prepared for the United Nations Environment Programme, evaluates the effectiveness of trade and positive measures within the Montreal Protocol. It analyzes how these mechanisms—ranging from import/export bans on ozone-depleting substances (ODS) to financial assistance for developing nations—have driven near-universal ratification and compliance to reduce global emissions of controlled substances.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the trade provisions of the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer. It details the different obligations for ordinary Parties, developing country Parties (Article 5), and non-Parties, specifically focusing on restrictions on the import and export of controlled substances and products containing them. The document also examines the financial mechanisms for developing countries, such as the Multilateral Fund, and discusses potential legal conflicts between the Protocol's trade restrictions and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

This research paper proposes a 'combined strategy' to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by integrating international marketable permits, emissions fees, and country commitments. The author argues that while industrial countries are the primary source of emissions, a successful global regime must balance the economic stability of industrial nations with the development needs and fairness concerns of developing countries.

This research paper examines the intersection of international intellectual property (IP) rights, global trade, economic development, and environmental protection. It analyzes how IP regimes—specifically patents, copyrights, and trademarks—impact the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and the conservation of biological diversity, focusing on the tensions between industrialized nations (led by the US) and developing countries within frameworks like GATT, NAFTA, and the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).